Monthly Archives: February 2018

Freedom of media continues to face major problems in Armenia. Despite constitutional protection and certain legal guarantees, media outlets and journalists face threats and intimidation from political figures and police. Lack of protection and weak rule of law create an environment for self-censorship. Media outlets continue to be largely dependent on external financing and affiliated

Photo: RFA On the afternoon of February 14th, a fiery collision sank an Iranian tanker “Sangqi” from the Iranian National Tanker Company in the East China Sea. Under the raging fire is the tanker, which was carrying 136,000 tons of condensate oil. The contents of the taker entering the sea is very concerning when it

UNICEF intends to study refugees’ conditions in Jordan camps. (AFP/ File Photo) If you live in a peaceful country, it is sometimes hard to imagine, at this time, there is a generation of children who are still living with the fear of bombings, starvation and illness on the other side of the world. As the

Many Americans will recognize brand jingles, talking geese and gecko mascots, red umbrellas, and NASCAR race-car drivers endorsing insurance brands. These insurance companies provide help to individuals and businesses to manage and mitigate risks. The traditional insurance market operates as a pooling of resources (through premiums) from its policyholders and pays affected policyholders who experience

Source: The New York Time (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/30/world/asia/rohingya-coxs-bazar-bangladesh-myanmar.html )The picture shows a young individual playing soccer in a Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh In 1982, the state of Myanmar stripped the Rohingya people of citizenship. The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority in the Rakhine state, and 1982 marks the beginning of the crisis of the Rohingya

Presence of well-functioning road and communications infrastructure is the cornerstone of economic progress and an inclusive society. Since its independence in 1991, there has been an urgent need in Armenia to rehabilitate the poor road conditions and upgrade the road system inherited from Soviet Armenia to meet the current political realities of the country and

Chunyun, also referred to as the Spring Festival travel season or the Chunyun period, is a period of travel in China with extremely high traffic occurring around the time as the Chinese New Year. The period usually begins 15 days before Lunar New Year’s Day and lasts for about 40 days. The number of passenger-journeys

In 2010, according to a research conducted by Dr. Jenna R. Jambeck and her team, an estimated 275 million metric tons of plastic waste was generated in 192 coastal countries bordering the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, and the Mediterranean and Black Sea, and 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of that waste has made its

Superplatforms, the “Platforms of Platforms” Experts have claimed that banks are decaying, but they have persisted over time. However, the entrance of new internet “superplatforms” into financial services may be the end for some traditional financial institutions. Superplatforms are successful and regularly recognized on lists of the world’s most innovative and client-centered companies.

After the recent municipality brawl in the capital of Armenia where a female legislator was attacked by her male colleagues, the issues women face in Armenian politics have resurfaced. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia has made progress on ensuring gender equality. Yet, there are still major issues related to gender

Source: The Guardian (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5374501/Mass-exodus-thousands-Venezuelans-flee-country.html) The picture shows one of the bridges that connect Venezuela with Colombia. In the last twenty years, the world has witnessed a significant flow of forced migration. The recurrence of natural disasters due to climate change has affected millions of people living in the Third World, seeing their livelihood shattered

Islamic Banks appeared in the late 1950s and the earliest ones were established in Pakistan and northern India. Islamic banking is banking or banking activity that is consistent with the principles of Sharia (Islamic law) and its practical application through the development of Islamic economics. As such, a more correct term for Islamic banking is

Photo: MSC / Kuhlmann The 54th annual Munich Security Conference (MSC) will be held from February 16th to 18th in Munich, Germany. Approximately 500 senior government officials from the United States, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Russia will participate in this meeting. According to the website, the conference agenda for the MSC 2018 will

In 2016, nearly 3 billion people – or half of the total population on our planet – watched the Rio de Janeiro summer Olympic Games. In the United States, 27.5 million people watched the opening ceremony, and audience rating peaked at 19 when the U.S team entered the field. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee reports

The mobile money industry has had a fantastic decade. We have seen how one connected handset can transform the life of not just its owner, but also the lives of his or her family and broader community. A mere ten years after M-Pesa launched in Kenya, the mobile money industry now celebrates an impressive

Source: Brookings Institute (https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/the-state-of-democracy-in-latin-america/) Latin America has entered a period of significant political uncertainty. Starting last year in Honduras and Chile, between 2017 and 2019, fourteen of the eighteen countries in the region will go through major elections. This period of major political change in the region takes place in the context of major political

After the former US Federal Reserve chair, Janet Yellen, left office, Jerome Powell will be sworn in today. Since the nomination of Powell at the end of last year, what policy the Federal Reserve will adopt has been a subject of concern. The Federal Reserve is responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities of the U.S. Central

United Nations Headquarters in New York will host the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62) from March 12th to 23rd; this year’s priority theme is “challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls.” CSW62 has a review theme as well: “participation in and access of women